Security dealers provide security systems to protect people's lives and property. There are various segments to the security business market ranging from high end installations to basic, low-cost solutions. The basic, low-cost solution is usually offered to the consumer at a cost lower than the cost of the security equipment with the expectation that the cost will be recovered via a monthly monitoring fee. Problems arise when a competing security dealer offers the consumer a lower monthly monitoring fee and “takes over” the installed security equipment.
“Taking over” a security system saves the competitor the time and expense of installing the security system. The process of “taking over” a security system involves removing the existing control panel, installing a new control panel, and configuring the control panel to accept signals from the existing security sensors. Hence, the savings are realized by the reuse of the existing sensors that were provided by the original security dealer.